Flute concertos of Benoit and Hanssens in the spotlight

A research project by Anne Pustlauk — Jan Dewilde (supervisor)

2026-2027

Handwritten sheet music with notes and annotations in black ink.
A woman with long light brown hair, wearing a blue and white patterned sweater, standing outdoors in front of a building with windows and some plants.

Peter Benoit and Charles-Louis Hanssens wrote flute concertos at the same time. While Benoit's concerto is still well-known today, Hanssens' concerto has been forgotten. This project sheds light on the history of the creation and performance history of both concertos in the 19th century.

While preparing for the CD recording of the Benoit concerto in April 2025, Anne Pustlauk realized that no critical edition of the concerto existed, even though this was necessary due to the significant differences in the source material. Hanssens's concerto has not yet been published. The aim of this project is therefore to publish critical editions of the concertos and to record Hanssens's concerto in the version for flute and piano to make it visible again.